Unless something dramatically changes in the next few weeks — and with so many talented free agents still unsigned, there’s at least a small chance it might — the 2018 Blue Jays are looking, realistically, like wild-card contenders at best. More likely than not, they’ll be in the mix for the second wild-card spot, as Houston, Cleveland, Boston and New York appear to be in a class on their own as far as American League teams go.

These are not ideal circumstances to start a season, but the Blue Jays are not an ideal team right now. In the second half of 2015, when they were the best team in baseball, in addition to having a solid rotation and bullpen — which, in altered forms, they still possess — the Jays relied on their huge bats, but also had genuine strength up the middle of the diamond. Russell Martin behind the plate, Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis in the middle infield, and Kevin Pillar in centre.

Three seasons later, those players...

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